Destination Showcase: Colorado
COLORADO
Winter Park, Steamboat Springs, Snowmass, Carbondale, Durango
Photography, Words & Video: Tory Powers
Presented by Colorado Tourism
Colorado is easily one of the best locations on the planet for mountain biking. To truly experience and show everybody how good Colorado really is, we took a five-stop trip through the best riding the state has to offer. From north to south, and east to west, our path was Winter Park, to Steamboat Springs, to Aspen / Snowmass, to Carbondale, to Durango. We rode completely different styles of trail in each location and got to ride in some spots that even us locals hadn’t heard much about.
Trestle Bike Park at Winter Park
Our first leg of the trip started at a familiar Colorado destination: Winter Park + Trestle Bike Park. Trestle is one of the world’s largest bike parks, with over 40 miles of gravity trail and an expansion of another 10 over the next few years. Trestle is known for being a progressive mountain with beginner to expert terrain and the largest rental fleet in the US.
Not uncommon, we experienced a quick early morning monsoon that left the normally dry dirt perfectly tacky.
It came in handy so that we could enjoy crepes, french toast, and sausage & biscuits at Goody’s Mountain Creperie right at the base.
After the 30 minute downpour, we got to hop on the lifts right as they opened. We went straight for Shy Ann, a blue that's frequented by beginner riders but is actually one of the most underrated trails at the park.
Blue Crush, another blue trail on the mountain that's full of fast, flowy turns and rollers.
No Quarter is arguably one of the most fun trails on the mountain, being a very free ride oriented trail. Wood features, fast turns, and big jumps make this one of a kind trail.
We got a sneak preview of Dirty Dozen, Trestle’s newest trail. This trail is super fun, having a mix of backcountry style rock gardens and machine built berms to keep up your speed.
One of the coolest aspects of Trestle Bike Park is that it leads to over 600 miles of backcountry trails that are maintained by a local nonprofit. We didn’t go quite as far out as we could, but we hit a Trestle classic- Mountain Goat, which is their Old-school DH trail. With long rock sections and nothing really manicured (except the North Shore style rainbow skinny going over the creek), it’s similar to what youâ’d find exploring the backcountry.
We ended the day starting at the top with Rainmaker, Trestle's famous nearly top-to bottom jump trail. They just redid the top section making the jumps into their lippy version of a long and low, which Amy and Kevin got pretty comfortable on.
We took a turn to their current downhill trail, Trestle DH. Their lower section Amy says is her favorite trail on the mountain. It's chunky, fast, and has some wood features including a big drop out of the trees.
Trestle is notorious for being a very free ride oriented mountain. Amy and Kevin couldnât get enough of Space Ape, a relatively short leg towards the bottom with a line of 3 big step downs heading straight into a fast rock section.
We couldn’t help but celebrate a perfect day of riding with one of the local’s favorite spots - Pizza Pedl’r.
Look forward to next year when their new gondola will take you to the top in 5.5 minutes, less than half of the time it currently takes.
Steamboat Springs and Steamboat Bike Park
Just under 2 hours northwest of Winter Park into the Rocky Mountains lies Steamboat Springs. A very famous ski town is now known as “Bike Town USA.” With over 500 miles of single track, it’s no wonder.
Our first day consisted entirely of backcountry. We went to the Bear Creek area and started at around 10K feet, above treeline. With nearly 360 degree views, the abundance of mosquitoes was basically forgotten. We were blown away to see that the entire first section was like a chunky minefield. Think Moab slick rock but exactly the opposite of slick. Lines everywhere. Upper Bear Creek is a double black, but there are countless trails in the area for all skill levels.
When I said lines everywhere, I meant it.
Streams, lakes, and different types of vegetation were everywhere. Our guide and bike park manager, Trevyn Newpher blasting a natural step down.
Fast singletrack was nothing short of common on Upper Bear Creek. I don't know if I was going crazy, but I swear the rest of the trail smelled just like honey. As the wildflowers became more common, the riding began to open up and get a lot dustier.
The trail was mostly a combination of switchbacks, open fast sections, and the occasional steep chute.
Trevyn demonstrating proper technique for the creek crossing.
We had so much fun hitting this turn at the most scenic spot on the Panorama trail that we barely left in time to avoid the storm that blew in.
The Strawberry Hot Springs are one of the most famous hot springs in Colorado. It's the perfect place to let your body recover after a full day of backcountry.
STEAMBOAT BIKE PARK
Sadly we were put on rain delay until 12pm, which shifted to hail delay. Colorado’s summer weather can change in an instant. This rain and hail ended up creating amazing riding for when the sun popped out not 30 minutes later, switching back and forth between light rain.
We basically only rode two trails, and that’s all we needed. Flying Diamond, their jump trail, which is expected to go top to bottom or about 3k of vertical, and Bucking Bronco, another jump trail with some freeride wood features.
Amy, who has spent a ton of time in Whistler over the last year, explains Flying Diamond as being a “better Dirt Merchant.” Pretty high praise.
The first section in the aspens on Flying Diamond are a couple big, swooping turns into an on - off.
Kevin, who hails from a BMX background, shows his racer style on one of the jumps
After crossing the road are four jumps in a straight line that I didn't even have to ask for "one more" on, because Amy and Kevin would do it no question. Amy was never content with how big she could throw her whips even when she was blowing the rest of us out of the water.
Snowmass
Nostalgic to myself and the others who used to race the Mountain States Cup back in the day, Snowmass has come a long way. Now hosting things like the EWS and BME, their bike park is the real deal. Snowmass is known for its “moondust,” which is some of the softest, finest dirt you’ll find. And like our guide Tyler Lindsay said, “The South Park episode of Aspen is pretty accurate,” so take that with a grain of salt.
Their bike park is nearly 3000 vertical feet, with 14.5 miles of trail and immediate access to another 80 miles of modern and classic XC/DH trails. They’re approved to build another 13 miles of trail over the next couple of summers along with a dedicated beginner skills park mid-mountain.
One of the crowd favorites was Valhalla, their black jump trail. Going top to bottom, it's a pretty sweet way to make it down the mountain.
A wallride with a view.
Amy and Kevin couldn't get enough of this section. The best spot for heckling races on the mountain, this triple set was one of the most fun jump lines on the trip.
Amy and Kevin jumping in front of the Maroon Bells, the most photographed mountains in the country, which we support.
Snowmass was basically a bike park plopped in a place for sightseeing.
It's not just moon dust, there are rocks here, too.
Amy and Kevin found something they can both enjoy that's not just bikes with the mid-mountain Breathtaker Alpine Coaster. Dodging the usual eye-sore of these being at the base, it was hidden in the trees. When waiting in line, one kid said "this isn't THAT extreme, guys." We beg to differ. New to the mountain this year along with a zipline and rope course in the trees, the Lost Forest mountain adventure center was RAD. We don't usually fall into tourist traps like these, but this one was worth experiencing.
The Maroon Bells claim the most picturesque spot, sitting at the top of the second lift at Snowmass.
Our sneak peek of the new trail called "French Press" on the top section of the mountain. It was our favorite trail on the mountain, so make sure to check it out when it's open in the next couple of weeks. If you like fast straights and big berms, this is the trail for you.
Our evening consisted of some lift-access backcountry style trails. We pedaled a couple ridges over to find one of my personal favorite spots. We rode the Expresso trail to Cross Mtn. Trail/Trestle to Village Bound to get to this amazing location. We couldn't have asked for a better way to end the Snowmass stop. By far the best sunset we saw- we just wanted to sit there and watch.
Carbondale
Just a measly 40 minutes north-west of Aspen / Snowmass lies Carbondale, a true hidden gem that isn’t talked about much in terms of the Colorado riding scene. The entire town sits in a valley with Mt. Sopris jutting up seemingly out of nowhere. It’s a true sight. With Sedona style Red Hill on one side of town, and fast gullies on the opposite, it’s the perfect place to ride everything.
We got hooked up with Aloha Mountain Cyclery, which had the most hospitable and generous team we experienced on the whole trip. Plus, their shuttle vehicle is super rad, even if it may be one of the most incapable shuttle vehicles out there. But hey, looks are everything.
Sam Stevens, our main guide, was ready to get sendy with us.
The shuttle vehicle cruising up towards Prince Creek, where some of the most fun trails we rode were at.
The top of the shuttleable Prince Creek area, on the trail Father Ginormous, which is a downhill trail that starts at about 9,000 feet and is a fast, flowy blue/black. This trail was literally like a snake run the entire way down. Very little technical bits with swooping turns. So, in other words, this was super fun.
A true classic landmark of Carbondale riding was this old Monte Carlo. It may be slowly sinking into the ground over the years, but it's definitely a unique feature to end on.
Sushi is a must after a day of hot riding.
Also downtown is a public bike park with pump tracks, dirt jumps, and some on the hill slopestyle features. Being that we didn’t have dirtjump bikes with us, Why Cycles was more than generous by offering up their one-off 27.5 dirtjump bike, weighing just over 20 lbs. This thing was FAST. Carbon components and a Gates carbon belt drive really put this thing on a new level. Amy was definitely a fan.
Night riding wasn't even a question when we brought it up. There is very easy access to good night riding just outside of town in Prince Creek. We hit it right at the full moon, so you could see the trail, your surroundings, and Mt. Sopris pretty well even without a light.
Riding until midnight, we took a quick 3.5 hour nap and we were up at 3:45am to head over in the dark to ride up Red Hill. It was pitch black at the start, which made for some interesting uphill. However, sunrise at the top was unbelievable. With some pretty gnarly exposure on every side, I made Kevin and Amy stand on the "mushroom heads" a lot longer than they were comfortable for.
Red Hill is by far the best place around for a sunrise shoot. With an east facing mountain, it’s the first face to light up in the morning. Not uncommon to the area, Red Hill is full of tall shrubbery as well. Not normally an early riser, one of our guides Sam said he will be doing a lot more morning rides.
After the meadows, you head into what really feels like Sedona. Identical vegetation and dirt made this feel like we were nowhere near where we had ridden the day before. Chunky rocks and fine dirt lined the mountain.
Durango
The last leg of our trip was Durango. We took the route that heads through Ouray, one of the most remote, yet beautiful mountain towns, on what they call the Million Dollar Highway.
Durango makes you feel like you’re in the old west. But in a good way. Not the gun-slingin', sheriff dodging kind. The buildings are dated, but they are full of history. On top of it being an interesting town with lots to do, there are over 300 miles of trails only 30 minutes from downtown. The best part of this is that a lot of it you can ride to directly from wherever you’re staying.
We met up with cross country Olympian Travis Brown, so we were prepared to get our butts kicked hard. He took us up to Engineer Mountain Trail, a staple of Durango. With 2400 feet of elevation gain, and a summit of nearly 13000 feet, you feel like you’re on Everest. Of course, while we were huffing and puffing our way up, Travis acted like it was a morning stroll.
None of us had spent a lot of time down in Durango, so we didn’t really know what to expect. Being nine days into a trip, our bodies surely didn’t feel like riding. However, when we got to the summit, it’s like somebody flipped a switch. Nearly 360 degree views and being all the way above treeline was absolutely spectacular. Every color of wildflower lined the trail and it was by far the best view on the entire trip.
Amy and Kevin cruising through a meadow that looked like it was out of a movie.
A mix of tall plants and columbines made it really feel like the Colorado everybody talks about. We finally dropped back down into the trees and things got a lot more rooty and technical. With switchbacks basically the entire way down, it made the descent last forever, which we loved.
It wasn't too long before we got into an aspen grove. Things started getting a bit faster, but also a bit dustier.
We kept trying to just enjoy the trail and ride for a bit, but we couldn't help stopping to shoot every 100 yards. Vegetation and aspens seem to go together here. Golden light lit up this grove like it was an evening ride.
After the 10-mile trail, Amy and Kevin were stoked to remember we had brought along some power cookies from "Bread," a bakery in town.
We went for another ride in the evening, but this time it was just outside of town. We went up to ride Haflin trail, which Amy claims is one of the best trails she’s ever ridden. You get to experience lush, green with fast steep sections at the very top, and eventually get into more Sedona style riding by the time you get to the bottom. Make sure your brakes are bled, though, because you’re gonna be on them.
A horned lizard paid us a little visit while we stopped on the climb.
If you’re in Durango and like going down hills, you need to ride Haflin. This was the last bit of trail in an old burn zone before it changed to the Sedona-style of riding.
It was like night and day when the dirt changed. It wasn't a slow transition- all of a sudden we were in the desert.
Just because we all call Colorado home, we aren’t biased by saying this is some of the best riding in the country. Amy travels around in an RV, and Kevin coaches across the country, but yet still find themselves loving Colorado the most. There aren’t a lot of places that you can drive a couple of hours to experience a totally different style of riding, and there are even less that you can do that all in one town of one trail. However, Colorado has all of that. It may be a popular location to ride your bike, but with how expansive and diverse the terrain is, running into people isn’t as common as you’d think.
Colorado sucks, don’t come here.
- Sincerely, a Colorado native
Colorado Mountain Biking Trails
Pinkbike would like to thank:
Trestle Bike Park at Winter Park
Steamboat Springs Bike Park
Snowmass Bike Park
Carbondale and Aloha Mountain Cyclery
Durango
Presented by Colorado Tourism.
To learn more about biking in Colorado or to book a trip, visit www.colorado.com.
Riders: Amy Shenton @djamyapplesauce & Kevin Stiffler @coachkevinllb
MENTIONS: @pinkbikeoriginals
Author Info:
Member since Feb 15, 2012
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jk - you foreigners are welcome here. Just be polite, don't litter, and don't wreck stuff.
As an east coast transplant living in CO, maybe I let my prejudices get the better of me. My apologies.
(Damnit PB there are too many people here already)
Man-it's-too late for puns
I heard Ho Mei is good
I think you’re right - the Colorado flag trucker cap is played out. To be safe, I purchased a “Native” license plate holder for my truck.
And of course the tourists are a pain in the ass, but they mostly stick to the well known trails and leave the goods alone.
PSA: just cause you can ride blacks at home, doesn’t mean you should jump into them here.
J/K
On a serious note, excellent photo epic... you treasonous swines. No but really, it is great, I ride everyday, I have no problem with more riders or hikers... just tell those gomer equestrians, and non-outdoorsy people to stay home. Oh, and you can't move to the Rockies, and complain about snow/cold... looking at you California and Texas transplants. LOL
Juuuuuuuuuuuuuust kidn...
Maybe I’m just biased because I’ve spent my whole life living in a “big city” but if you ask me, living in a city that is flourishing, prosperous, superior, ultra desirable, and most importantly is growing, is far better (even with the cons) than being stuck in a city that no one wants to go to or doesn’t have a booming future.
Dont forget weed money
In this you certainly hit two of the good descents. But still a whole lot more out here you really just scratched the surface. Durango itself could have its own article.
Got to put Kennebec Pass to town on the CT on the list. 22 miles, 2,000' climbing, 6,700' of descending. Hermosa tours will bring you to the top. Its our version of the Whole Ench, and its awesome.